Saints raid Arsenal

Arsenal's Premier League title ambitions were dealt a painful blow as they were not so much beaten as humiliated 4-0 by a Shane Long-inspired Southampton on Saturday.

Arsenal knew that they could go to the top of the table by beating an out-of-form Southampton after Leicester City's defeat at Liverpool earlier in the day.

But somehow they made Southampton look like the team aiming for the top themselves.

Dutch-born Curacao defender Cuco Martina put Southampton ahead with a sensational long-range strike in the 19th minute.

"I don't have words -- it was an unbelievable feeling," Martina told the club's official YouTube channel.

"It was a great feeling, for sure. After the goal everything was in slow motion for me. I was so happy, so happy.

I scored I think three goals in my whole life and that's the nicest one."

Shane Long added a second, Jose Fonte headed in the third, and Long made it 4-0 in injury time.

This was a potentially damaging result and display and Arsene Wenger's men must now aim for six points and nothing less from home matches against Bournemouth and Newcastle United.

Wenger said that his title-chasing team had been punished for lacking sharpness after they crashed out to the damaging defeat at Southampton.

"We lost too many challenges today. They were sharper than us," Wenger told BT Sport.

"I think we were unlucky as well. Their first shot on goal went into the top corner from the right-back [Martina], the second goal came after a foul on [Laurent] Koscielny.

"It's a disappointing result, but I have to say well done to Southampton. The referee let a lot go, but when you're not dominant in challenges, that is the price you have to pay."

The result kept Arsenal in second place in the table, two points below Leicester City and a point above Manchester City.